


Emotional

by The_Fiercest_Vulpine



Category: Teen Titans (Animated Series)
Genre: Barry is Wally, Crying, Emotions, Fluffy, KF is so sweet, M/M, Multi, PTSD, Same person, Technically Speaking, just different name
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-19
Updated: 2018-01-19
Packaged: 2019-03-06 22:26:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,246
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13420905
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Fiercest_Vulpine/pseuds/The_Fiercest_Vulpine
Summary: BirdFlash!Involves subject matter that may be a little personable to some, so use discretion if you think you need to.KF's name is Barry Allen here, but it's basically the same person (as in it's Wally but with a different name lol).P.S. This is gonna be super duper uber cuddly and trashy and feely because i'm comfort garbage.It's literally almost embarrassing... ;/////////;And mild language, sorreh.Otherwise, enjoy!Timeline: post-Terra's return, post YJ outfit, post-Green Lantern and Red X living there.Red X is Jason Todd and he has DEEP dark red hair with a white streak in it, and green eyes.Yes my head cannon is weird.





	Emotional

The boisterous laughter of ten people filled the entire living area.  
With Cyborg, Beast Boy and Green Lantern playing video games, Robin and Kid Flash were spectating, side by side along with everyone else.  
It was cold out, dark, late and very rainy, so the boys were taking advantage of it with some good old fashioned Mario Kart, and the dozens of others games they owned.  
The girls even chose to spectate, including Jinx.  
Yes, Jinx!  
When she and Kid Flash had moved in together long ago, Jinx had seen the speedster playing Grand Theft Auto.  
She was irritated with him, expressing that her idiot former teammates always played video games and how ridiculously stupid they seemed.  
But when Kid Flash told her about all the awful stuff one could do in the classic GTA series, Jinx became interested and, eventually, hooked.  
Now she watched the others play at Titans Tower, and even sometimes played herself.  
She and Terra were the only girls that played, but that was all right with them, and the boys treated them just as well during gaming.  
Beast Boy was actually in the lead, and everyone was cheering him on.  
Except Lantern and Cyborg, of course.

"GO, Beast Boy!  
Cyborg's got a red shell!" yelled Terra.

Beast Boy laughed while throwing a green turtle shell backwards, smacking Cyborg and making him rage as he was passed up by Lantern, who was ignoring them all.  
Honestly, this all had been going on for only a few minutes, but there was already so much noise and there were chips everywhere, including a bowl of them in Cyborg's lap.  
When BB crossed the finish line, Cyborg threw his controller up, a leg kicking out and sending chips flying.

"NO, MAN, COME ON!"

Jinx recoiled in agitation when the crunchy snacks flew all over her, some crumbs even landing in her hair.

"EUGH!  
Watch where you're flinging those!"

Terra, Starfire and the dating males laughed openly at the entire scene.  
Lantern wasn't happy about his coming in second, but seeing Cyborg come in third put a big grin on his face.

"Heheheh, a little sore back there?"

"Shut up, man, you got so lucky!"

"HAH!  
Yeah IF I'M NOT IN LAST PLACE, IT'S PURE FREAKING LUCK."

Robin laughed the loudest at that while Red X pointed at Lantern.

"You just burned yourself," X said with a chuckle, mask off so everyone could see his smug face and wide grin.

Lantern made a glowing green hand out of energy and slapped X's hand away, but all were good sports...until the next race started.  
Eventually they added Terra to the game, making for an even louder match.

Another ten minutes of hooting and hollering and flying chips (and a mostly quiet Raven who used her powers to deflect the flying food), Robin noticed himself feeling a tad off.  
It crept in so subtly, he wasn't actually sure when he began to feel off.  
All he knew was out of nowhere, his heart felt like it was beating a little faster, and he was a little uneasy.  
Still watching and laughing off and on with the others, he did his best to pay attention and ignore it.  
When the feelings didn't stop, he took a few deep breaths, going unnoticed by anyone (much to his delight).  
After another couple of minutes, he became fidgety and felt less and less happy.  
In fact, if he was honest with himself he felt a trickling sense of dread sink in.  
It radiated out from inside of him, starting in his chest and bleeding into his gut, and then tingling into his legs, making them feel heavy like lead.  
But why?  
Nothing was wrong, he'd had a great day and they were all having fun.  
He'd had random anxiety before while hanging out with friends, and thanks to research he usually could tell it was just from his personal issues.  
Any time that happened, he could just fight it off and continue enjoying his day, and that fluttering feeling of nervousness would melt away in a few minutes.  
But whatever this was, it was getting worse and worse, until he was trembling a little, even.  
As if it wasn't bad enough that it wasn't getting better, as the monster of his bad feelings grew, it gained momentum.  
His smile disappeared, his laughter dwindled into chuckles, which died all together with his smile.  
His skin drained of its color and in a crowd of yelling, cackling friends, he was the only person who was dead silent.  
Even Raven was too engrossed in what was happening on the big living room screen and amongst the others to notice him or his growing plight, though Robin preferred to, once again, not be noticed.  
For so long he just stared up at the screen, and what was more odd was he didn't feel dissociative, nor was he having a flashback; he was still there, in the present, but just while feeling terrible.  
It wasn't until Red X, who was sitting on the other side of him, finally nudged him after having said something so perfectly awful to someone else.  
He was the only one who noticed Robin zoning out in thought instead of laughing along with everyone else, though he had no idea there was an actual problem.

"You fallin' asleep, R-bird?"

"Huh?"

Robin jumped and looked at him, taken off guard.  
Kid Flash looked over at them, reeling from a good laugh at X's comment.

"Kinda hard to stay stone-faced when Beast Boy's getting smoked like a bitch, am I right?"

"Screw you!" Beast Boy delivered with a defeated chuckle.

Seeing Robin's lack of response, Kid took immediate notice.

"Uh..."

X raised a brow, looking a little confused.  
Robin, suddenly antsy now that attention was on him and still feeling like his legs had been encased in concrete, he pushed himself forward and up off the couch swiftly, keeping his voice down so as to remain aloof and undetected by the others.  
Except, unbeknownst to him, Kid was watching.

"I'll be back," he muttered before quickly walking around the couch and toward the back of the room.

Red X looked at Kid Flash, perplexed.

"Was it something I said?"

Kid shrugged, but his eyes showed a warmer concern.  
Red X, oblivious and too emotionally stale to fully grasp the concept, turned his attention back to the game after shrugging in response to Kid's.  
The ginger-redhead looked back over the couch, observing as Robin walked through the doors and out of the room entirely.  
He only made it just outside the door, stopping in the darkened hallway.

He could still hear the others, but with it being so much more muted he could hear the thunder outside, too.  
It was very distant, and it wasn't really what he was focused on, anyway.  
Robin leaned his back to the wall, holding one of his wrists and twisting it gently in an absentminded attempt to distract or calm himself down.  
Thanks to his racing heart he couldn't help but to breathe faster, which annoyed him.  
He tried to breathe more slowly, but it just didn't do anything for him.  
"What's wrong with me?" he thought, admittedly a little frightened by this.  
It was a newer, more powerful brand of discomfort for something that didn't involve flashing back.  
Just then, who should come through the door and find him but Kid Flash, light peering in from the living room as the door opened, and fading away when they closed behind him.  
Robin tried not to look at him.  
He wasn't surprised that Kid came looking for him, but he wasn't thrilled, either.  
As it was, perhaps it was for the best -- after all, trying to handle this sort of thing on his own hadn't ever worked before.  
Kid Flash walked up to him calmly, but with a calm, warm demeanor.

"Hey, you okay?"

"Yeah...  
I don't know," he said with a heavy uncertainty.

The sensation of dread had thickened by this point, and was making him tremble more.  
Kid was not blind to this.

"What's wrong?  
Did something happen?"

Robin sighed through his nose, deciding he wasn't even going to pretend it was nothing.

"I really just...don't know.  
Everything was fine, I was having fun, but then I just started not feeling right.  
You know how sometimes I get anxiety...?"

"Yeah?" Kid answered quietly.

There was a genuine concern and curiosity in his deep blue eyes.

"This...started out like that, but, u-uh...  
It suddenly just started feeling so much worse..."

"What do you mean?  
Like, just more anxiety?  
Or..."

"N...No, it's something e-lse..."

His voice broke at the last word, and his breathing turned from quick to slightly dragging while he let out a groan of discomfort.  
Alerted by the change but remaining calm, Kid laid caring hand on his arm, moving in closer to Robin.  
He spoke softly.  
Having dealt with Robin and his trauma plenty of times by now, he was well equipped to handle most of what was thrown at him, and knew what questions to ask.

"Okay, okay.  
Do you think you're...you know...having a flashback?"

Robin shook his head in a short but quick motion, rushing his words some.

"No, I don't feel anything t-touching me or anyone talking to me, and I don't feel foggy..."

"Were you thinking about Slade?"

"No..."

Kid leaned forward a little.

"You're sure...?"

"Positive...!  
Everything's been fine, I was fine, but now...  
I don't know what's wrong with me..."

Right then his voice changed from nervous to purely frightened, and the trembling became much more visible.  
Kid took both of his arms.

"Here, why don't we sit down.  
Is that okay?  
Will you sit with me?"

Sometimes Robin didn't want to sit, but this time he nodded and eased himself down onto the floor, almost feeling dizzy but no less grounded.  
How could he feel this awful and not be slipping away?  
It was that notion that bothered him the most, but that wasn't what was making him afraid; he was just scared period, amongst other horrible emotions.  
Kid sat with him and they faced each other on the floor, the speedster's body language relaxed and focused while Robin was stiff and pulled into himself.  
Kid scooted closer to him, and reached a hand up toward Robin's face.  
Though he was calm, there was no mistake that he was concerned and deeply saddened by his company's distress.

"Can I see your eyes?"

Robin nodded again and reached up to his face too, but Kid had already carefully removed his mask before he could do it himself.  
He put his hand back down shakily, brown eyes glancing away.

"Look at me, babe."

Robin did as was asked of him, and to Kid's surprise, he didn't look spacey or "high" or anything like he usually did when he was dissociating or flashing back.  
This puzzled him, and for a moment it really showed in his furrowed brow and eagle-hard gaze.  
The black-haired boy glanced away from him a few times, still a huffing, shaking mess.

"Well...you look really pale, but..."

He put his hand on Robin's shoulder, rubbing it a little.

"I guess it's just a big anxiety attack, Rob.  
Either way, it'll be okay," he finished with a small smile, trying to convince him to stay calm.  
"Take a couple deep breaths, maybe?"

"I already tr-ied," Robin stammered.

Kid Flash was not discouraged.

"I know, but why don't you try again.  
It can't hurt."

Kid rubbed more of Robin's arm while he made an effort at breathing, but it was to no avail.  
During one of his last attempts at a deep breath, Robin suddenly paused and closed his eyes tight, scrunching his nose as if he were in pain, only he didn't make any sound.  
He sat frozen like this for a few seconds.

"...Robin?"

He only appeared more pained and looked away, a tiny whimper hitching in his throat.  
He was...about to cry.  
Dread became a heavy feeling of mourning and desperation, and an unplaced sadness, and it had all welled up into his eyes.

"M-m..."

"Robin?  
Hey..."

A couple shaky breaths came in through his lips, followed by him shaking his head slowly.

"What's--"

"I c-an't..."

He had no control over himself whatsoever.  
He couldn't stop his anxiety, he couldn't stop shaking, he couldn't stop himself from almost hyperventilating, and now he couldn't stop himself from crying.  
Tears suddenly flowed down his paled cheeks, running off his chin and dripping down onto his pants while he held his own arms tightly.  
Kid, surprised by the sudden display of emotion and its impending weight, tenderly took Robin's face into both of his hands, trying to see him better.  
He dared not ask why Robin was suddenly crying, but right then it didn't honestly matter.  
Robin was embarrassed for his boyfriend -- hell, his soulmate -- to see him just randomly break down, but there was nothing he could do about it.  
He felt helpless, like a little child and with no control over himself.  
And it drove him crazy, but that was still only a dull ache in comparison to the massive dread and anguish he was feeling, and those feelings were what was making him cry.  
Up until he said his next sentence he'd managed to hold most of the tears in, but as he spoke, it all fell apart through a small, choked sob.

"I c-an't s-st-op..."

Kid Flash was dumbfounded, eyes widened, and for the moment, he was speechless.  
He held Robin's face gently, his thumbs wiping a few tears away, but they quickly replaced themselves at a fast pace.  
Part of him hoped the tears would stop, but it wasn't a moment before he realized that wasn't going to happen.  
Robin trying to turn away from him while making a very wounded noise broke Kid.

"Okay, okay come here..."

It was all the incentive he needed to let go of his face and wrap his arms around the Boy Wonder instead, drawing him into his person.  
Robin seemed to only sob more openly, again without control once he felt the other body around his, a hand on his upper back and the other holding the back of his head, cradling him.  
He may not have known what was going on, but that wouldn't stop him from doing everything he could to bring Robin peace and comfort, no matter what it took.  
Robin hugged back weakly, burying his face in Kid's shoulder, muffling the sobs.  
He was completely falling apart, and though he couldn't stop it he still made an effort to, which consequently only put more strain on him and made him feel worse.  
Kid was as compassionate and loving as ever, fearless in his tender tone and radiating warmth.

"It's okay, Dick...  
I've got you, I'm here..."

"I c-can't -- "

Kid held him more firmly.

"I know, shhh I know.  
Don't stop, okay?  
Get it all out, maybe you'll feel better.  
Maybe you need this.  
It's just you and me, there's nothing to be ashamed of."

Robin knew that, but it didn't stop him from feeling embarrassed.  
He hoped that the others stayed in the living room, that no one else had to see him like this.  
And then, what of Barry?  
This wasn't exactly something he hadn't seen before, only this was seemingly far more intense and random.  
It stung his soul -- he felt like he was wasting Kid's time.  
They were supposed to be having fun with their friends, not sitting in the hall while he sobbed for literally no reason.  
Kid rubbed his back encouragingly, not afraid to give all he had for him.  
And though Robin regretted this, Kid took no frustration, nor did he see Robin negatively for it.  
But Kid knew Robin well enough; he would be apologizing to him over and over again when he was coherent enough, so for now Kid was going to try to convince him not to be sorry.  
Something else he'd learned was that talking to Robin while he broke down tended to further that along.  
As sad as that seemed, it meant Robin got more and more off his chest, and in the end it made him feel better.  
So, he would talk to him.  
Sweetly, calmly, reassuringly.  
Each inhale Robin drew was hiccuped and hard, a marker of the intensity of his emotions.

"It's okay, it's just us.  
I'm here, Richard, it's okay."

If anyone needed to be told "it's okay," it was him.  
When would this stop, they both wondered; when would the crying end?  
Just a minute more?  
Five minutes?  
An hour?  
God Robin hoped it wasn't nearly that long, he just wanted to stop feeling so awful.  
He wanted to know why he felt so awful.  
After so much more of his unstoppable tears, Kid began to rock with him very slowly from side to side.  
Robin gripped at the fabric of Kid's clothing, groaning and looking up just enough for his eyes to rise above Kid's shoulder.  
His teeth chattered from the weight of his misery, the tears never ceasing.

"Shhhhh, shhhh..."

Annoyed by his gloves, Kid took a moment to pull them off and drop them to the floor, then brought his hand back up and around Robin warmly.  
Nimble digits caressed the soft, black hair, moving through the locks in a soothing manner.  
It was painful to hear him bawl and feel every little tremble reverberate through his body.  
...Was it a flashback?  
Robin had said he didn't feel like he was slipping, and he wasn't seeing, feeling or remembering anything in particular, but Kid recalled reading somewhere about emotion-based occurrences.  
Not long after Robin had revealed he had PTSD, Kid ducked straight to the internet and began researching off and on for days, taking in little bits and pieces of information at a time.  
His ability to help Robin was partially enabled by his having studied and being interested, but what made Robin see Kid as attractive in the first place was how safe he felt around him.  
Even now, as he fell apart in his arms and felt so small, he knew he was safe.  
It was an understanding that lingered behind powerful, unexplainable feelings of despair and, of all things, mourning.  
Though he knew better, he bore a feeling like his life was over, like he'd just lost everything and that he was "stuck."  
He would've vocalized that, but for the time being, all he could do was sob.  
Kid never stopped rocking, and wasn't surprised when he heard and felt Robin's breath start to straggle.  
A solid two minutes passed of Robin just sobbing while Kid whispered encouragements to him.  
Robin could feel Kid's voice in his chest when he spoke, deep and calm and so comforting, not judging him while he lost it.  
Even if it had lasted an hour, Kid would've stayed.  
He would've stayed and continued to do what he was doing with him forever if he'd had to.

"Take a deep breath, Dick.."

Robin groaned, to which Kid softly asked him to do it again.  
So Robin would take a deep breath, exhale, and Kid would have him do it again.  
Inhale, exhale, repeat.  
Inhale, exhale, repeat.  
Believe it or not, the last choppy, distressed breath he took in helped, and when he exhaled a lot of the weight of his pain went with it.  
He didn't yet stop crying, but things suddenly became very calm.  
Kid took this as a sign that answers and, most importantly, relief from Robin's upset was on the horizon.  
He continued to rock with and cradle him, not the least bit hesitant, and entirely unwilling to let go of him.  
Robin, feeling himself having calmed drastically, found he was finally able to speak -- if only a little.

"Hh-- hnnn...  
S-s-so-ry--"

"Shhhh," Kid interrupted him.

He shook his head, closing his eyes and turning his face inward towards Robin, speaking even more softly.

"Don't be sorry, it's okay.  
You're not doing anything wrong."

"N-nnhh..."

There was a welcomed silence that blanketed over them, minus Robin groaning and sighing and trying to stop crying.  
Kid was ever-patient with him, offering all the time in the world to do whatever it was he needed to.  
Robin's groans were more or less whimpers after so long, which Kid was glad to hear.

"Are you feeling a little better...hm?  
Still anxious?"

Still loosing tears in a steady stream from each eye, Robin nodded stiffly.

"Y-eah...  
M-- I'm a l-ittle better, but..."

Agitated, Robin cleared his throat, then turned his head and laid his cheek against Kid's shoulder, exhausted.

"I don't und-erstand why this h-appened...  
I was fine..."

"I know, I'm sorry.  
I might have an idea, but we can talk about it in a minute.  
Just try to relax, take some more deep breaths.  
I've still got you..."

Robin sighed tiredly and closed his eyes as the tears gradually slowed.  
Doing as was asked of him, he did take a couple long, slow deep breaths, steadying himself.  
With Kid Flash holding him this way, he eventually felt safe enough to relax, loosening up in Kid's arms.  
Kid slowed down his rocking and resumed rubbing Robin's back, the fabric of his cape wrinkling up and smoothing out as Kid disturbed it.  
After another minute Robin's tears finally stopped, and he sighed.

"I think...  
I-I think I'm ok-ay now..."

"Yeah?"

Robin nodded weakly.

"Yeah..."

"Can I look at you?"

Robin sniffled and drew in a choppy breath before shakily lifting his heavy body off of Kid's.  
He'd stopped trembling, but now he felt weak, like he hadn't slept in a day or two, only like he also weighed more.  
When he sat up, Kid leaned forward towards him and studied his eyes, which looked just as bad as he felt.  
Wet, pink, droopy with steep lines under them.  
But amidst the exhaustion and confusion, there was a sudden peace that washed over them, a feeling of relief and clearance.  
Kid Flash remained just as sensitive as he'd been when this had began about ten minutes ago, much to Robin's appreciation.  
He laid a hand on Robin's arm.

"You think it's over?"

"Yeah...  
I th-ink I'm done..."

Robin looked away with shame in his eyes, discouraged.

"I'm so sorry..."

Kid smiled sweetly, the sunshine in his expression unable to be ignored.

"I wish you wouldn't apologize."

"It just f-eels like I've wasted time.  
You...  
I mean, we were in there having fun, and now..."

"Hey..."

Robin looked up shyly, looking defeated, but Kid's faith never faltered.  
He scooted closer to his boyfriend again and held both of his arms, looking him in the eyes, smile never dying.

"Nothing done with you is a waste of time.  
Where you go, I go.  
You know when this happens it's a good thing, remember?  
All that bad stuff that's been in your head for so long is finally getting out, and if it has to come out even while we're trying to have fun, well...  
Then that's okay with me.  
You shouldn't ever be sorry.  
I love you."

Kid hugged him without the slightest hesitation, leaving Robin just a tiny bit stunned before sheepishly hugging back.  
What had he done to deserve Barry?  
The man was so sweet to him, so understanding, so unbelievably patient it almost hurt.  
Robin's voice broke when he answered him, but he answered him.

"I love you, t-oo..."

After a few pats on the back, they parted again, holding each other's arms.

"Hey, so I know you don't know exactly where that came from, but were you feeling anything?  
Besides anxiety, I mean?"

Robing sighed to himself again, looking off and shaking his head.  
He looked lost, amidst his current exhaustion, and his voice was equally so.

"I guess...  
The only feelings I could really register were dread and sadness.  
I felt like I was...like I'd lost something, or like something had been taken from me.  
I felt trapped.  
When I say that I can't help but wonder if it's to do with my mom and dad, but that doesn't feel right.  
I feel like it's something else..."

Kid slid a hand down to Robin's leg and patted it, now very curious and filled with a desire to help him solve this little mystery.  
The more they knew, the better equipped they would be to tackle this and get through it, which was what they both wanted.  
In their contemplation, they could hear yet more shouts of rage and excitement coming from behind the doors as their friends continued to play Mario Kart.  
Robin very much wished to go back in and just have fun, but his mind was too shaken for him to even get up yet.  
Kid didn't mind a bit.

"Hm...  
Well, when you were with Slade you were trapped, right?"

"Yeah," he answered in a hushed, ginger voice.  
"It was hell..."

"Well, maybe that's it, then."

"But that isn't a flashback, so what--"

"Actually," Kid interrupted as kindly as he could, "I read once that sometimes flashbacks are purely emotional.  
You know how you have anxiety sometimes?"

Robin nodded shyly, focused.  
He craved answers, and he hoped this was it.

"Well sometimes there's...more than that, with some people.  
And, like you, where I read, the people who said they'd been through that said they had no idea where it came from -- they thought they were just having a random panic attack."

"I mean...there was panic, hah..."

Kid chuckled softly, not wanting to make Robin feel as though his attempts at staying positive would be lost on him.

"I know, but you know what I mean."

Robin sniffled again, and for the last time drew in a choppy deep breath, and exhaled tiredly.  
More than anything, he really looked like he needed sleep, but he was far from ready for bed.  
A little more thunder rolled gently in the distance.

"Yeah...  
Maybe...it was about...me feeling like I'd lost everything."

"Could be.  
I mean that's how you felt, right?"

Robin nodded again.

"There were times when I felt so powerless, when it really hit me how I had no control.  
All I could do was try to not piss Slade off enough to push the button..."

Even now, just saying it made his stomach lurch a little.  
Kid could tell when Robin just slightly hunched and his eyes thickened with heaviness.  
He reached out and touched his arm with his fingers, just to remind his partner that he was there for him.  
Robin appreciated it, and recovered.

"I tried not to think about it, but there were times when I would consider what it meant to be there.  
When I doubted myself, I would have these little...I don't know, I wanna say 'visions' but I don't think that's right.  
But -- I had these flashes, of the future.  
I saw myself having no feelings, being so numb that I just did whatever Slade wanted and stopped fighting him, even after years and years of living with him.  
I gave up.  
I saw myself fighting my friends and them hating me, I-I even thought about what would've happened if Batman had seen me...  
I thought about how I would never be with my friends again, how I would never be happy again, or get to hug my father or--"

He had to stop there, for to his dismay, more tears suddenly raced to his eyes.  
Robin recoiled and brought a hand to his eyes, taking a deep breath so as to steady himself.  
Even after so much time and after having spoken about it several times before, there were moments when the thought of losing everything, including all quality of life and how it was a fate worse than death, was a jab through the heart.  
It was painful, emotional.  
It was one of the reasons he couldn't understand why criminals got into trouble and risked going to prison.  
Who would want to lose all their freedom, privacy and fun?  
The thought of never seeing sunlight again, of never eating pizza or playing a video game, the thought of never getting to sleep in his own bed again or shower in a room without a camera.  
It was sickening, and even though it hadn't happened, he knew it could've happened if he didn't fight tooth and nail every minute of every day in those two miserable weeks, and if his friends had never figured out what had happened and come for him.  
There were times when he thought about what he went through and it didn't phase him so much, but in times like this when he was vulnerable, remembering the fear and everything he'd pushed down all but knocked him out.  
Kid Flash remained tactile and calm, sliding his fingers and thumb up Robin's sleeve about an inch each time his hand came back up, massaging his skin lovingly.  
Tears did leave his eyes, but Robin's glove absorbed them.  
After a minute spent gathering himself, he calmed down and looked back up, eyes glassy once more.

"I'm okay..."

Kid smiled again, encouragingly.

"I know you are.  
I'm just glad you know that."

Robin nodded and managed another weak smile of his own.  
He truly did know he was safe and loved, and that Slade could never do that again.  
Even having to visit him to keep tabs, he wasn't afraid of being captured and blackmailed into staying; it was his friends he worried about.

"Thank you, Barry..."

"Hey, thank you.  
I'm just glad you shared with me."

When someone who's experienced trauma shares about their experience, it's always important to make them feel like that was the right thing to do, and that they have someone to listen to.  
Kid knew this all too well.

"Um...  
I know I probably look like shit now, but...can we go back in there?  
I just want to laugh."

Kid's eyes lit up like stars, compensating for the stars they wouldn't be seeing that rainy night.

"Yeah man!  
And -- we don't have to say anything, if you don't want."

"That's fine with me," Robin answered with a small smile.

He wiped his eyes and put his mask back on while Kid slid his gloves back on.  
After Kid stood he helped Robin up, and they walked in together.  
Upon sitting, Green Lantern asked them where they'd been, to which they said they just needed to talk something out.  
Raven, Lantern and Terra (who were the only ones who'd managed to pay attention) could tell Robin was under the weather and could only assume what had happened, so they took it easy on him.  
The couple sat hip to hip with Kid's arm around the bird-named hero, and Robin's head laying on Kid's shoulder.  
He was tired, but he laughed and laughed, and eventually had enough strength to even cheer on whomever he sided with during games.  
When offered the controller, he eventually did take it and join in playing, if only one race.  
That was good enough for everyone else.  
Following their hours of ridiculousness and endless shouting, Robin and Kid Flash would retire to their room, and sleep embraced.  
As always, Robin would greet the promise of a new day with a smile on his face, up early to watch the sunrise.

 

\---The End---


End file.
